Spirituality and health in the context of Occupational Therapy

Health professionals' interest in the relationship between spirituality and its influence on individual and group health-disease processes, and on quality of life is increasing. The objective of this study is to analyze how spirituality has been approached in the context of occupational therapy. This is an integrative review of the literature found in the Virtual Health Library and PubMed databases. Data were collected in February and March 2016 from articles published between 2001 and 2015. The title, year, journal, methodology, and type of study were analyzed quantitatively. Qualitative analysis included discourse analysis to assess the texts. The results showed that concepts related to spirituality are complex, and, although the spiritual dimension has been described as an important aspect in the development of the intervention plan, putting it into practice has become difficult. Patients used spirituality as a coping strategy to deal with different diseases and their respective treatments. Gaps were found between theory and practice, indicating the need of further research and training for occupational therapists. Finally, the complexity that involves spirituality-related issues in health emphasizes the need of more reflection and studies on this subject, especially when the objective of professionals is to provide humane and integral care.